Just one day after Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
The 30-second ad -- a montage of news clips of former and incumbent Cabinet members' "off-beat" moments -- aimed to undermine President Chen Shui-bian's (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"We hope TV viewers will take a relaxed view of this ad when, which is presented in a relaxed and humorous style," KMT spokesman Justin Chou (周守訓) told reporters.
The alliance had planed to produce 20 TV campaign ads in the run up to March's presidential election to promote the candidacy of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and his PFP counterpart and running mate James Soong (宋楚瑜).
Among the officials picked on in the TV spot are former minister of economic affairs Christian Tsung (
The advert featured Tsung performing a provocative dance, Iap making a shooting-gun gesture at press photographers with his hand and Yu singing karaoke on a naval vessel, as well as footage of him following his admittance of accepting massages from unlicensed masseuses.
Noting that during the past three years of Chen's presidency he had already changed three premiers, four vice premiers, three ministers of economics and four GIO director-generals, Chou asked "how could the public expect good policy from the government with its many changes of cabinet members?"
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Cho Jung-tai (
The deck, designed by his office, featured cartoon pictures of Lien and Soong on one side with the other side carrying blunt remarks made by Lien and Soong when they faced off in the 2000 presidential election.
During the 2000 presidential election, Soong, a former KMT secretary-general, ran as an independent while Lien ran as the KMT's presidential candidate.
Both fiercely attacked each other during the campaign, with Soong calling Lien incompetent and lazy and the KMT running a series of advertisements attacking Soong's credibility and integrity and painting him as a greedy and deceitful billionaire.
"Many people wonder how these two, who fiercely slammed and lashed each other with bitter words [during the 2000 presidential election,] can now join hands and campaign together" Cho said, adding that the Lien-Soong alliance in the upcoming presidential race was a "marriage of convenience meant to cheat people out of their vote."
Soong and Lien "care not about the people and the nation but about divvying up of the spoils of office," Cho said.
The poker cards were not for sale, according to Cho's office.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central